Description
SUNY Brockport has a long history of social work education in the Greater Rochester Metropolitan area and beyond. SUNY Brockport is well known in the local and regional community for preparing social work practitioners that demonstrate strong practice and professional knowledge. The program’s social workers are employed throughout the region in a wide array of agency settings. Many graduates are now leaders within their agencies. This reputation continues to position us well in the local and regional community and SUNY Brockport MSW graduates are in high demand upon graduation.
Mission Statement
The mission of the Master of Social Work (MSW) Program at SUNY Brockport, SUNY Brockport is committed to the promotion of human rights, social, economic, and environmental justice, and the elimination of poverty and oppression. Through teaching, service, and scholarship, we strive to prepare competent, self-aware, ethical, and culturally humble integrated practice social workers, with diverse populations, advocating for the well-being of all people in our shared global community.
As a reflection of its mission, the overall goals of the Master of Social Work (MSQ) Program are to:
- Provide advanced social work education incorporating theoretical knowledge and critical thinking within an advanced integrated practice framework; emphasizing an ecological, strength-based, community collaborative, empowerment model of practice to promote social and economic justice.
- Educate social work practitioners who are ethical, critical thinkers engaged in ongoing inquiry and life-long learning.
- Develop practitioners who provide autonomous social work practice and leadership in health, human service, and other community organizations in diverse communities to assist high need or at-risk populations.
- Infuse a critical understanding of cultural humility and gender sensitive advanced practice in working with diverse groups, and to adapt social work knowledge and skills to meet the needs of disenfranchised and historically oppressed groups.
- Educate social work practitioners to use evidence and knowledge to improve the effectiveness of social work practice, policies, and programs.
- Promote the health and well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities by advancing social justice in a changing environment and in a global society.
The program is fully accredited by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) and is registered with the New York State Education Department.
For further information, please call: (585) 395-8452 or email msw@brockport.edu.
Website address: https://www.brockport.edu/go/msw
Department Co-Chair & MSW Program Director
Pamela Viggiani, PhD, LMSW
(585) 395-8460 (Brockport Downtown)
pviggian@brockport.edu
Admission to the Program
Criteria for Admission: 60-credit Program
Students who have earned a bachelor’s degree in any discipline (psychology, sociology, criminal justice, women studies, etc.) from an accredited institution, are prime candidates for the traditional MSW Program.
There is no single factor used to determine student admission to the MSW program, rather a combination of factors are considered as follows:
- Completed Online Application and fee through SUNY Brockport Center for Graduate Studies.
- Completion of the Statement of Objectives/Social Issue as described on the application.
- Official transcripts from all colleges attended
- Applicant must have completed, or will be completing, a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative index of 3.0 and a "B" average in the major field by the start date of the desired term.
- An applicant who does not meet these grade point average expectations must address them in his/her Statement of Objectives/Social Issue;
- Pre-requisites:
- Minimum of 24 credits* of undergraduate liberal arts coursework in the following:
- Six (6) credits must be in the social or behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology, political science;
- Six (6) credits must be in the arts or humanities (e.g., history, English, foreign languages, philosophy, ethnic/gender studies;
- 12 credits may be any combination of the above or with courses from the natural sciences or mathematics.
- Applicant must have completed, or will be completing, a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution with a cumulative index of 3.0 and a "B" average in the major field by the start date of the desired term.
- Two letters of recommendation are required, preferably from a college/university faculty member and from a social work or other work supervisor. If you are unable to obtain a letter from a faculty member or supervisor, other professional references will be accepted.
- Professional Resume.
Criteria for Admission: 36-credit Advanced Standing Program
Students who have graduated within the past eight years from a CSWE-accredited baccalaureate social work program are eligible to apply for admission to the MSW advanced standing program. Additional minimum admission requirements are:
- Completed Online Application and fee through SUNY Brockport Center for Graduate Studies
- Completion of the Statement of Objectives/Social Issue as described on the application.
- Official transcripts from all colleges attended
- Applicant must have completed, or will be completing, a baccalaureate degree from a CSWE accredited institution with a cumulative index of 3.0 and a "B" average in the major field by the start date of the desired term.
- An applicant who does not meet these grade point average expectations must address them in his/her Statement of Objectives/Social Issue;
- Applicant must have completed, or will be completing, a baccalaureate degree from a CSWE accredited institution with a cumulative index of 3.0 and a "B" average in the major field by the start date of the desired term.
- Two letters of recommendation are required, preferably from a college/university faculty member and from a social work or other work supervisor. If you are unable to obtain a letter from a faculty member or supervisor, other professional references will be accepted.
- Professional Resume
Upon Acceptance
Upon admission to the program students need to be aware of the following requirements.
- The majority of field placements for full-time and part-time students require students to be available during daytime business hours of the agency when client appointments, team meetings, and social work supervision are available.
- Full-time students entering the program are required to take the majority of their courses during the daytime.
- Part-time students entering the program are required to take the majority of their courses during the evening.
- Students that have prior graduate work through SUNY Brockport or another accredited institution may receive up to 12 transfer credits with program approval.
- Students must meet the University’s standards for graduate study.
Location
Day and evening classes are held at our Brockport Downtown site at 161 Chestnut St. in Rochester, NY.
Program Requirements
60-credit Program Requirements and Curriculum
The first 30 credits of the MSW Program are designed to provide a generalist social work perspective. The following courses are required during the generalist level of the 60-credit program: A grade of B- or higher is required for SWK 501, SWK 502, and SWK 508.
The exact sequence of the generalist level courses is dependent upon full or part time plans of study.
- SWK 500 – Child Abuse Workshop*
- SWK 501 - Social Work Practice I
- SWK 502 - Social Work Practice II
- SWK 504 - Field Practicum I and Seminar I
- SWK 505 - Field Practicum II and Field Seminar II
- SWK 506 - Human Behavior and Social Environment I
- SWK 507 - Human Behavior and Social Environment II
- SWK 508 - Diagnostic Process: A Strength-Based Social Work Perspective
- SWK 520 - Social Welfare Policy and Services
- SWK 524 - Social Work Practice and Cultural Diversity
- SWK 533 - Critical Thinking in Social Work
36-credit Advanced Standing Program
Generalist Level Courses (6 credits)
36-credit advanced standing must successfully complete the following generalist level courses prior to beginning their advanced practice level coursework.
- SWK 500 – Child Abuse Workshop*
- SWK 508 - Diagnostic Process: A Strength-Based Social Work Perspective
- SWK 533 - Critical Thinking in Social Work
*All students complete SWK 500 – Child Abuse Workshop as a component of SWK 533 to fulfill a New York State social work licensing requirement.
Advanced Level Courses (24 credits)
60-credit students begin advanced level courses after successfully completing the 30 credits in the generalist level sequence. The advanced level curriculum is designed to provide the framework for advanced integrative practice and consists of 24 credits in policy, practice, field, and masters project thesis with a specialization broadly defined as interdisciplinary health and wellness applicable to all social work settings.
The exact sequence of the advanced level courses is dependent upon full or part time plans of study.
- SWK 602 – Social Work Assessment and Brief Interventions
- SWK 605 – Cultural Humility and Social Work Practice in Health Care
- SWK 610 – Field Practicum III and Seminar III
- SWK 611 – Field Practicum IV and Seminar IV
- SWK 621 – Advanced Social Welfare Policy
- SWK 631 – Masters Project Thesis
Advanced Practice Courses
Students will choose one (1) of the following advanced practice courses in their final spring semester (please note, courses listed below are not offered every spring):
- SWK 604 – Social Work Practice in Health Care
- SWK 616 – Disabilities Studies for in Social Work
- SWK 645 – Sexual Health in Professional Practice
- SWK 654 – Evidence Based Practice Seminar
- SWK 655 – Mental Health Recovery
- SWK 680 – Clinical Interventions: Advanced SWK Practice with Groups
Approved Electives
Students in both the 60-credit and 36-credit programs take six (6) credits of electives at a 500 level or higher. Courses are selected from an approved program list, including SWK electives as well as courses from other graduate programs; students requesting elective coursework not on the approved list need advisor approval.
Grading Requirements
Courses can only be repeated once. Please refer to class Syllabi for specific details regarding grading.
To continue in the program, students must receive a grade of B- or better in the following courses: SWK 501, SWK 502, SWK 602, SWK 604, SWK 605, SWK 616, SWK 645, SWK 654, SWK 655, and SWK 680.
Student Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, students will be able to:
- Demonstrate Ethical and Professional Behavior
- Engage Diversity and Difference in Practice
- Advance Human Rights and Social, Economic and Environmental Justice
- Engage in Practice-Informed Research and Research-Informed Practice
- Engage in Policy Practice
- Engage with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities
- Assess Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities
- Intervene with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities
- Evaluate Practice with Individuals, Families, Groups, Organizations and Communities